


Myosotis Sylvatica (Forget Me Not)

by Prince_Ofluff



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Falling In Love, Happy Ending, M/M, Mistaken Identity, Slow Build, Temporary Amnesia, magic is known
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-07-13 21:43:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7138430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prince_Ofluff/pseuds/Prince_Ofluff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fili has a heavy future looming in front of him. Courtship, marriage, duty, honor and someday the weight of an entire kingdom. </p>
<p>Then in one afternoon that life is taken from him and he finds himself a stranger in his own skin. He is cared for by the quiet and mysterious hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. They are spell casters who live outside of Erebor's borders and have no inkling as to who their guest truly is. </p>
<p>When he regains his memories and realizes who he is and what he left behind there is a terrible choice he will be forced to make.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know I have several other stories going at this moment but I really wanted to post this! I'll catch up on my others I promise! I hope you like it!

 

 

 

“Come on brother! Surely you can ride faster than that!” Kili called over his shoulder as their ponies raced down the sloping hill. At the base was a strong running river that served as part of Erebor’s northern border.

Fili brushed is hand down Wyr’s mane. She was a good sturdy pony with black coloring and a white star on her forehead. “Come on girl. We can’t let these upstarts get the best of us can we?”

She seemed to snort her agreement and her sides heaved as she sped up her pace. He knew they had one last good push in them before he would have to let her rest and concede the race to Kili. They managed just to push ahead and reach the rock the marked the end of their circuit. He turned with a bright grin to Kili and Kol who were catching up “A good attempt but you cannot best a champion!” He gave a proud smile down at Wyr and she munched happily on grass as her prize.

Kili gave a good natured push and stroked Kol’s brown mane “We’ll get them next time won’t we boy?”

The day was bright and warm one of the last pleasant days of summer before fall started to its reign. A breeze picked up and played with Kili’s hair as the brothers broke for lunch and let their ponies rest. An afternoon free of duties was a rare treat and they were determined to make the most of it.

“Mother keeps wondering when you’ll be ready for a courtship. She can’t have Uncle Thorin waiting too long and soon he’ll put his foot down and insist.” Kili said quietly as he skinned an apple. He was loathe to ruin such a pleasant day with talk of courtship and marriage but he had promised his mother he would at least try to discuss it. It was one of the reasons she had given her blessing for them to take the afternoon for themselves.

Fili sighed and sipped on a wine pouch. He knew that his mother was doing all she could to buy him the time he wanted before he would be subjected to every dwarf and dwarrodam who wanted to try and wed themselves a future king. “I’m just not ready yet Kee…how will I know they are right for me? How will I know they want me for myself? Not for gold or Erebor?”

Kili was not envious of his brother’s situation. He had long ago made peace with the fact that while Fili would one day rule Erebor he would not. It suited him better this way, he had none of Fili’s patience for court politics and he was far happier in the stable or on a hunt than he was at a ball. One of the few benefits to being the ‘spare’ was there was no rush to see him married. In fact it was widely considered better that Fili marry before he did. He was in no hurry to see himself married either.  “I do not understand Uncle’s reasoning. Surely there is time yet? He is still on the throne, the land is peaceful, and we are still young. His urgency makes me wonder what he knows that he has not shared with us or mother.”

Talk of their uncle further darkened the mood. They both felt guilty for complaining of the gentle expectations placed upon them when their uncle and mother had grown up in a court full of madness. King Thror had been gold sick and it had brought Erebor to its knees before he and his son Prince Thrain were killed in the ill advised battle for Moria. Thorin had been younger than them when he had inherited a broken kingdom and had struggled for several long years to bring Erebor back to its former glory.

Their mother too had known hardship. Their father Xili was assassinated when King Thror believed he was plotting to take over the throne. Their mother had insisted he wanted nothing of the sort but his illness had driven him to insanity. Her brother too had been killed in Moria; somehow he had been as gold mad as his grandfather and Frerin had lost his life scrabbling for golden coins. In comparison being asked to open himself up to courtships made Fili feel ungrateful to say the least.

Seeing his brother’s bleak expression Kili smiled and patted his shoulder “You’ll know who is right for you. There will be no doubt in your mind when you look upon them.” He grinned “Besides someone out there has to love that mug of yours.”

Spirits restored Fili playfully punched his brother but smiled. He would take heart that at the very least his family would stand beside him. There was no way his mother would let him settle in a loveless marriage and Uncle Thorin was not asking for much, only the opportunity to be courted. It was the least he could do.

The wind picked up again and this time it carried a scent that startled the ponies. They whinnied anxiously and pulled at their tethers. That was all the warning the got before they heard the howl of a warg in the distance and turned to see three orcs approaching.

Picnic hastily abandoned Kili fluidly released his arrows as Fili’s twin swords dug into the first to approach them. The ponies were screaming now and he blocked out their fear as he struggled to avoid the warg’s sharp teeth. The rider was dead but the beast was still determined. He finished it off with a stab through the heart and turned to find the next enemy when a second warg came up from behind and bit his leg through his leathers. The rider’s snarls rang in his ears as he realized he was being dragged. “Kili!”

Kili had taken down one rider and warg scout with his arrows and had only just turned at the sound of his brother’s voice when he saw him being dragged towards the river. “Fili!” His heart was pounding in his ears as his blood thrummed through his veins. He calmed himself before taking careful aim and put an arrow through the neck of the rider.

The beast continued to live even as Fili fought through his blinding pain to stab it wherever he could reach. He saw the rider slump over and the added weight caused the warg to stumble into the rushing rapids. Water covered his head and the breath was stolen from his lungs as he felt the orc and its warg bear down on him and pushed him deeper in the river’s stronger currents.

His hands reached blindly for a root or grip of some sort to pull himself up.  He knew he would soon reach the rapids and his guess was correct as the water became deeper and stronger. He was tossed and lost his sense of direction before his head collided with a stone and darkness took over his vision.

Kili watched as Fili disappeared under the water and dove in himself. The current was too swift and he struggled to stay afloat. Soon he had no choice but the leave the river, his clothing and leather’s soaked and his heart breaking as he looked at the running water and said softly “Fili.”

Gathering himself he took a steadying breath. There was still hope. If he could return to Erebor and quickly gather a search party it was possible that Fili had pulled himself out of the river father down. He tied Wyr’s reigns to Kol and urged them along as fast as possible. He could not lose his brother.

 

 

Frodo was gathering water plants for his uncle when he noticed a shape in the still waters. The river was slow and peaceful by their cottage and often debris from father up was washed along the edges. He set the basket of plants aside and recoiled when he saw a warg and an orc bloody by the side. It was rare for their dark sort to be this far south. His uncle would do away with them and recast the charms that kept their border secure.

He walked a little further and found another shape. This one was a dwarf, injured but alive. Frodo pulled him as far out of the water as he was able and gently checked him for injuries. The most obvious ones were his leg which seemed to have a deep bite wound and the impressive slice to his skull that was still bleeding sluggishly and bruising heavily. He started removing his leathers and set aside his weapons. Already he could sense his uncle approaching and Bilbo tsked as he looked at their unlikely guest “Oh my. Well best bring him in no doubt he’ll have a fever soon thanks to that bite. I’ll deal with these two later.”

Together the hobbits lifted the dwarf and carried him inside their cottage. They were simple spell casters and there was no sign that there were others by the river or that the fight had taken place there. Wherever he had come from it was farther north. Frodo made sure he was laid out comfortably on their guest bed as his uncle puttered around with herbs and salves.

His blond hair was matted but there were signs of wealth in his gold beads and fine accessories. His tunic was well made and dyed a deep expensive blue that was decorated with delicate silver stitching. Wherever he had come from Frodo was certain he would be missed. He pulled away the tunic and saw a necklace glitter against his neck. It was a protection charm no doubt given to him by a loved one. The magic on it was strong and his name was clearly spelled out in runes. “Fili…What an odd name.” Frodo mused before he washed away the grime and blood covering his body.

Once he was cleaned and bandaged Frodo brushed away some of his hair. He had not seen many dwarves but he was under the impression that this one was handsome with his mustache braids and short beard. Gently Frodo touched the charm and closed his eyes, it was possible that the distance was too great, but if there was a charm connected to this one he wanted them to know that he was alive.

Then there was nothing to do but wait for him to wake.

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update! I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter but I hope you guys like it!

 

 

 

He woke slowly. There was a ringing in his ear that was slowly becoming annoying. He opened his eyes and looked around as his mind desperately tried to get him information. He was in a very comfortable looking room. The walls were a light cream color highlighted by the sunshine pouring in from a window. The window must have been slightly open as a pleasant breeze wisped through his hair. He noticed the bed he was in was soft but supportive and covered in well worn quilts. There were flowers on the bedside table that brought a fresh scent to the room and there was a glass of water beside it.

He reached for the glass and took several greedy gulps before two things came to him at once. He didn’t know where he was…and he didn’t know _who_ he was.

He felt warmth against his neck and looked down to see his charm glowing. He wasn’t sure what that meant but the door opened taken his attention away. There in front of him was…well he knew he was a dwarf but he wasn’t sure what this was. He was a bit short with rather large feet and black curly hair and a plain but well cared for light blue tunic.   


“How are you feeling?” The young man came to his side and poured him another class of water “You hit your head pretty hard. Uncle was worried that there might be some damage.”

The water that came fresh out of the pitcher was cold and he drank it all before he responded.  “I…I don’t know who I am…where am I? Do you know me?” Some part of him dislike the weakness in his voice.

The other’s eyes widened and he turned and called over his shoulder “Uncle!” The shout wasn’t loud but it carried and soon they were joined by another person.

This one was older and slightly taller with almost copper hair and a few lines on his face.

“He doesn’t know who he is Uncle.” The dark haired one seemed upset as he glanced back over to where he was on the bed.

“Oh dear me must have been that hit to the head. They can be tricky.” The older one muttered as he came by his side “Well the charm on your neck says Fili so that must be your name.” He gave a reassuring smile “I’m Bilbo and this is my nephew Frodo. We found you by the river a few days ago. It appeared you ran afoul of an orc. I’m quite pleased to say they didn’t have the same luck as you.”

Fili. His name was Fili. He waited for something to come to him. For that to _mean_ something. But there was nothing. “Thank you for saving me.” He said and then became lost for words. “I know I am a dwarf but what are _you_?” He winced and wondered if he was normally rude.

Instead of being insulted his hosts both smiled “It’s understandable you wouldn’t have seen many of us before. We’re hobbits. We usually live in the Shire closer to the Blue Mountains but we’re a bit adventurous. Terribly improper but there you have it.” Bilbo winked at Fili as he puttered around and looked at his injuries “Nothing else seems to be wrong. You had a fever while you fought of an infected bite but it’s gone now. A few more days of rest and you’ll be fit to get out of bed.”

Fili nodded though he had little else he could do. What would he do after he was well? Would his memories come back? Was someone out there looking for him?

As if sensing his distress Frodo gently reached out and put a comforting had on his shoulder “We’re spell casters and we were able to send a signal through your protective charm. It has another one connected to it so they should know that you are well. I could not tell the distance though I’m sorry.”

Relief bloomed in his chest. Then he wasn’t alone. Someone was out there, someone who knew him and who would be looking for him. “Thank you…You’ve done more than I could have asked of you…I do not know how to thank you.”

Bilbo gave a small smile. “Well you can thank us by getting better. Whoever has the connected charm will be looking for you and we wouldn’t want them to find you in a poor state. It might take them time but if they have any knowledge of charms it shouldn’t be long I would say.”

Fili found comfort in that and rested his head back against the pillow. There was still a stinging pain in his skull and it made him almost nauseous. He could feel the other injuries but the pain in his head was almost overwhelming.

Frodo noticed and smiled “We’ll let you rest some more and bring you dinner. Try to get some sleep.”

He watched the two hobbits leave and was grateful for their assistance. Maybe when he found his home he could repay them somehow. He fell asleep with that thought in his mind and a part of himself wondering who would have the connected charm.

 

 

  
  
“It glowed again that must mean he’s alive right?!” Kili was almost desperate as he clutched at his protective charm. He had returned to Erebor as swiftly as possible but even with Dwalin and Nori they hadn’t been able to find Fili’s trail.

None of them had wanted to voice aloud the possibility that Fili had left no trail for them to follow. It had been late in the day of the attack when Kili’s charm had glowed for the first time. It had never done that before and he feared what that might mean. Their spell caster had told him it did not necessarily mean either good or bad news. Only that he should show it to him again should it glow once more.

Now it was glowing again and his heart raced as he hurried to show it to Oin. It had been three days and he had barely the mind to eat or sleep. His every thought was consumed with finding his brother and easing the look of sorrow on his mother’s face.

Oin gently took the charm in his hand and hummed as he looked it over. “Someone is sending a signal through it that we can be sure.” He closed his eyes and held it “He is still alive, healing no doubt, but alive.” He released the charm “The distance is too far for me to tell much more. I would wager that it’s another spell caster tending him. They can likely feel the connection the charms share.”

Dis let out a breath and pulled Kili close “It’s alright… he’s alive.” Her long black hair was pulled into curls and her beard was usually brushed to perfection and dotted with her favorite diamonds and sapphires. However right now she was a little disarrayed and she clutched her youngest son close “Thank Mahal.”

Thorin’s hand was comforting on both of their shoulders as his grim expression eased. He had been disturbed to find that an orc had dared an attack on their land. Close to the boarder yes, but he would never have thought they would cross it. When Kili had returned with news of the attack and without Fili by his side his heart had gone cold at the thought. Now he felt renewed strength hearing that Fili was alive. He had not shown his fear to anyone not even his family.  They needed him to be strong. “What must we do to find him?”

Oin let out a long breath “its no’ that easy I’m afraid. Due to the distance the connection is weak. I would suggest expanding our search farther past the boarders and see if the bond strengthens.”

Pulling away from his mother Kili straightened “If he were well Fili would return home to us…but if he cannot we must go after him. We must find him!”

Steadying his nephew with a hand on his back Thorin nodded “Agreed, but we cannot ignore that there was an orc attack on our land. Our people could be in danger and I cannot risk another heir out in the wilds in this state.”

Kili drew back, a determined look set on his face “I must go after him! My charm is the one connected to his.”

Tentatively Dis approached her son “We need only the charm Kili…Thorin is right…you must stay here in Erebor.”

Kili looked as though he had been dealt a blow and Dis frowned as she leveled a stern look at her son “This is part of being a prince. With Fili missing you must take his place until he has returned. It is a burden that you were never expected to bear but as an heir of Durin you must. We must appear strong to our people least their fears get the better of them.”

Often times Kili had seen Fili trapped by his position. Now he felt those golden bars closing in on him and separating him from his brother. “But mother…I cannot. I must go after him!”

Dis straightened her shoulders and looked at her youngest. She was forever grateful that her sons had been blessed growing up with a secure court and far away from madness. However sometimes she wondered if she sheltered them too much form the world and what their duties might mean. This would be one of the times she reminded them that their place in Erebor was bought with personal sacrifice.

“There are times when being a Durin mean’s sacrifice. Dwalin and Nori will assemble a team to go with him and take your charm as their guide. But you will stay here and that is the end of it! We cannot always abide by our own wishes.”

This was the sacrifice that Fili always had to make. This was the burden he bore with a smile and a comforting embrace for his brother. Kili dug deep and found the strength to stay behind. He slowly undid the charm and held it out to his Uncle. This time he would be the strong one. The breath rushed out of him and he b owed his head. He and Fili had never been separated for longer than a day and already he felt lost without his brother beside him.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading I'll try to update soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm so sorry for the long wait but here's an update! Also I just want to note that I have very little knowledge on how amnesia works so I'm taking a lot of creative license!

 

 

 

It was surprisingly easy to get into a routine with his rescuing hobbits. Fili found that with a lack of knowledge about himself it was comforting to find familiarity in doing similar tasks each day. Their easy acceptance and kind manner went a long way to soothing his fears of never recovering his former self.

The hobbits rose early, walked their boarder to ensure that the wards were strong. Frodo had told him this was not their usual habit but because of the orc they had found they were increasing their vigilance. The rest of the day was spent peacefully gathering plants and firewood with plenty of breaks for food and tea. It was incredibly serene and Fili felt as though some part of him was relishing in the simplicity of it all.

Now, currently bent over Bilbo’s garden as he carefully weeded, his eyes wandered to Frodo as they often had in the past few weeks. At first Bilbo was reluctant to allow Fili out of bed but he was soon hale besides his lack of memories. It still troubled him that he could recall nothing more than his name and that was only thanks to the charm around his neck.

Each day Bilbo would test it to see if there was someone coming for him and each day he remained hopeful “Someone is receiving the signal. It’s weaker now, the wearer must have given it to someone to help search for you. It’s odd that someone that close wouldn’t have come themselves…” Bilbo seemed puzzled and Fili wondered again who might have the second charm. Why wouldn’t they come for him if they were so close?

He had looked carefully through all the belongings they had found on him for some sort of clue. His tunic had been heavily damaged by the water but even he could tell it was fine work. Most of his jewelry had stayed on his person and the beads in his hair seemed to have significant meanings. He knew that more important than the beads were the braids but if he thought about them too long his head would start to hurt.

Over time he started to recall that one braid meant he had completed swordsmanship training. A second spoke of high standing. A third was a family one though that made his head pound the most. Bilbo berated him when he found Fili curled in on himself trying to make the pain go away. “Rushing those memories won’t help you. They’ll come to you in their own time or not at all.”

 

It was two weeks after he had been found and he and Frodo were lying out in the grass staring at the stars. He wondered if he had done this sort of thing before he had been lost. It felt so refreshing and quiet. He almost couldn’t imagine it. For some reason he imagined his previous life was noisier, busier, with no time for such small things. He also thought he might be just imagining too much about what his life might have been. He knew Bilbo was right, he should let the memories return on their own time.

He tilted his head to look at Frodo who seemed so completely at ease as he looked up at the sky and spoke. “Uncle says we’d better prepare for winter soon. There is still time but we like to be comfortable and an early start ensures we’ll have more than we need. We’ll make sure there’s enough for all of us…in case whoever is looking for you cannot find you before the snow falls.”

The last part was said gently and Fili appreciated Frodo’s attempts to spare his feelings. “Want if they don’t want to find me?”

Frodo turned sharply and looked at him with a cross expression “Of course they want to find you! Uncle says they’re trying and there must be some reason they aren’t here by now. We know that you are well loved Fili. Give them time. They are probably so relieved to know that you are even alive! Most would not have survived those waters. That orc didn’t.”

Something flashed across Fili’s mind and he said softly “The orc was dead before he hit the water. It was the warg that drug me in.”

Frodo blinked at him in surprise and then smiled “See? You’re getting better every day. It’s only a matter of time now.”

When the returned to looking at the stars Fili thought about his question from earlier. Perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps they _did_ want to find him. Perhaps he didn’t want to be found.

 

Oin looked down at the charm in his hand and muttered. The wind was starting to carry a bite to it and he knew it heralded the change of seasons. Dwalin had been quiet as they tried to follow the charm’s direction but it was a fickle thing at best. “Something’s blocking it. Could be anything: distance, shields, or perhaps the charm itself. Difficult to say.”

He was mostly muttering to himself but Dwalin heard every word. They had been traveling for nearly two weeks trying to find Fili. The charm had wandered them over and yonder but never seemed to settle on one direction. This is why despite having a protection charm himself he didn’t trust magic. Far too flighty for his tastes. “We canna travel after the snow falls. Erebor will need us then.”

Oin nodded reluctantly “Indeed.” It went unsaid that time was running out.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! More to come soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I UPDATED THIS STORY!!! Thank you all so much for your amazing patience! I will try to get back in my good writing habits!

 

 

 

 

Fili appreciated the hobbits that had so kindly taken him in. His memories were slow to return. Most often he was left with only lingering flashes of memories rather than whole truths he could use to somehow manage a past. Frodo was a constant presence by his side and he found the time they spent together to be soothing. He wondered about his old life, about those who might be looking for him, but at the same time he sensed that the two lives would not be reconciled easily. Would he have to choose?

 

 

Bilbo frowned as he watched Fili and Frodo through the cottage window. True when they had first found Fili he had known that the sister charm of it had been a fair distance away. Yet everyday he and Frodo made sure to send something down the connection to help Fili’s family find him. He was a bit stronger than Frodo and could sense that the other charm was on the move. The original bearer of the charm had given it to someone else and while Bilbo wondered about that and had at first accounted that for the slow reunion he was starting to wonder if Fili’s own emotions were affecting the bond.

Though he was happy with the dwarf in their lives and he saw the brightness Fili brought to Frodo’s eyes he knew it was not right for them to not do everything in their power to have Fili reunited with his family. Whatever turmoil Fili was facing he could not simply ignore it. It would have to be reckoned with and for the sake of his health and memories Bilbo believed that certain measure would have to be taken.

“I need to borrow your charm for a short while. With the weather starting to turn foul you might not have long before whoever is looking for you will remain homebound until spring. It would not sit right with either myself or Frodo if we had not done everything possible to help them find you.” Bilbo was being a little underhanded about bringing Frodo into it when he had not shared his thoughts with his nephew. Yet he knew he had made the right choice when the doubt in Fili’s expression melted away and he untied the charm from his neck to hand it over to the older hobbit. As Bilbo watched him go he once again hoped he wasn’t being overly meddling.

 

 

Oin sat by the campfire and concentrated on the charm in his hand. They knew their time for searching for Fili was drawing to a close. Though he reasoned the prince must have found some safe harbor neither he nor Dwalin would be happy with abandoning their search until spring. Not only for themselves alone but because of the letters sent between their traveling party and the Durins by raven they both knew that Kili was doing poorly without his brother. 

The charm warmed in his hand and flared to life in a way it had not managed before. Someone was sending a powerful amount of magic through and Oin was on his feet in an instant. They had to act quickly and follow the charm while whoever was sending for them could manage the connection. They were apparently not the only ones who realized time was winding down.

 

Frodo was the first to see them. Fili still suffered from headaches when he pressed at his memories too long and so he was resting in his room until it was time for tea. Frodo was in the garden tending it as usual when he heard the riders approach. At first fear flared to the forefront of his mind as he remembered finding the orc and warg by the river. That was soon pushed aside as he realized the shapes that were approaching him were dwarves.

Called out by Frodo’s emotions Bilbo hurried to the front of the cottage and saw that they had guests approaching. He had felt the charm warming for some time but he wasn’t sure if they would manage to mount the distance today or not. It seemed that he should not have underestimated them. He looked to the cottage and wondered how Fili would take news of their arrival.

 

There were two riders and they slowed their approach as they neared the cottage. Bilbo gently stood in front of Frodo and managed to hide his fear well enough. He did not think they had anything to worry about concerning these dwarves but he was not so naive as to think they were not capable of harm if they were inclined.

The two dwarves dismounted and bowed their heads. The older looking one approached he had the charm in his hand and a hearing horn strapped to his belt. He looked seriously at Bilbo for a moment before he held out the charm. “My name is Oin son of Ofin and this is Dwalin son of Fundin. We’ve been looking for a dwarf with yellow hair by the name of Fili. Have you seen him perhaps?”

Bilbo held out the charm he had in response. “Yes we found him some weeks ago and he has been recovering with us since. He suffered a deep bite from a warg that was briefly infected but his head wound still troubles him. He has not been able to recall his memories and it was only by this charm that we came to know his name. I was worried that something might be affecting the charm so I borrowed it from him to see if I could strengthen the connection.” Realizing he forgot his own manners Bilbo scratched his head and bowed in response “Forgive me we don’t get many visitors out here. I am Bilbo Baggins and this is my nephew Frodo Baggins. We are formally hobbits of the Shire and are simple spell casters.”

“Not so simple if you can strengthen a charm that’s not your own.” Oin said with some admiration. He hesitated to press but he could sense that Dwalin was starting to lose patience with the pleasantries. “Do you mind if we see him?”

Bilbo nodded “Oh yes please come in I was just about to set the tea! Frodo go be a good lad and see if Fili won’t mind joining us. I think he’ll be pleased to see his friends again.”

Frodo had watched the exchange with a quiet sort of wariness but hastened to do as his uncle bid. He regretted that he was not happy to see Fili’s family but instead felt remorse that no doubt soon Fili would be leaving with them.

He gently knocked on Fili’s door and it was swiftly opened. Fili might have gone in to get some rest but his state proved that he had not found it. His hair was in disarray and he had in the past week ceased putting the braids in his hair since he could not remember their meaning and seeing them made his head hurt. He kept the beads on him at all times because they calmed him. His eyes were haunted and there were dark circles beneath his eyes. Frodo sighed and knew that had had likely had dreams again. He could never remember if they were nightmares or the echoes of memories that he could not recover. Either way they had become more frequent of late and they seemed to have visited again during his afternoon rest.

“Fili it’s time for tea. There are some dwarves here looking for you…” He trailed off not sure how to put his feelings into words. He should be happy for Fili and yet all he could find was sadness instead.

Fili seemed conflicted as well. “The ones with the other charm?”  He guessed though there was little doubt that was what had brought them here. He studied Frodo for a moment before nodding. “I see…thank you.”

Fili followed Frodo to the small table where two dwarves sat. They were rather imposing in the hobbit’s little cottage and they seemed to provide a stark contrast against Bilbo and Frodo who were dressed in their simple tunics and little in the way of decoration. Both dwarves wore travelling armor and weapons with braids and elaborate jewelry. They both seemed to wait for some sort of response from him but he found nothing coming to his mind. He gave a short bow of his head “Hello…I’m not sure if Bilbo told you of my memory problems…” He trailed off. He could sense that there was something he was missing here but what it could be escaped him.

The dwarves seemed deeply unsettled and Bilbo diplomatically gave everyone a moment to adjust as he poured tea and discussed Fili’s injuries with Oin. It seemed he, like Bilbo, also practiced medicine with his spell casting and soon the two were in a deeply involved discussion regarding head wounds.

Fili drank his tea slowly aware of the eyes that constantly looked to him for a sign that he could not give. He also found his gaze lingering on Frodo who was abnormally quiet and withdrawn. Some part of himself had assumed that when those looking for him finally found him he would find some sort of peace or resolve. Instead he was left only more conflicted than before.

 

What was he going to do?

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
